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2017 NBA Playoff Roundup, Day 6: LeBron Making History, Moose Is On The Loose And R.I.P. Raptors

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dunks against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Cleveland defeats Indiana 119-114. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dunks against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Cleveland defeats Indiana 119-114. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 NBA Playoffs
Apr 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dunks against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Cleveland defeats Indiana 119-114. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

On Day 6 of 2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, LeBron James keeps making history, the Pacers collapse, Greg Monroe shines, the Raptors need a eulogy and the Grizzlies won’t be rooked.

The 2017 NBA Playoffs are already in full force, and even if we end up with the Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers Finals matchup everyone’s expected since the offseason, would anyone be upset about it if long as the playoffs leading up to it are this entertaining?

The first week or so of postseason action has been filled with surprising upsets, big-time performances and unexpected role players stepping to the forefront of the playoff conversation. Day 6 of the playoffs on Thursday followed the same pattern.

As we advance through the postseason, we’ll be taking a look at what stood out from each day of playoff action. Here’s what we took away from the Cavaliers’ historic comeback in Indiana, Milwaukee’s dismantling of the Raptors and the Grizzlies bouncing back to beat the Spurs.

LeBron Keeps Making History

The Cleveland Cavaliers were down 25 at the half in Game 3. They trailed by as many as 26 against a Pacers team that was 29-12 at home during the regular season and desperately needed a win to keep its season alive.

LeBron James was too busy making history to care.

Let’s take a look at the list:

  • Passing Wes Unseld for seventh on the NBA’s all-time playoff rebounding list? Check.
  • Passing Kobe Bryant for third on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list? Also check.
  • Posting a 40-13-12 triple-double that was first 40-13-12 line in NBA playoff history? Check, again.
  • Erasing a 26-point deficit to tie the largest comeback in NBA playoff history? CHECK.

But it wasn’t just the historical accomplishments over the course of Game 3 that stood out. Even without all those accolades attached, LeBron absolutely took over that game in the second half.

His back-to-back three-pointers at the end of the third had Cleveland within seven heading into the fourth. His passing picked apart the Pacers down the stretch. And his vicious dunk in transition to give the Cavs their first lead since the first quarter all but assured his team the victory — both for the game and the series, as if the latter were ever in doubt.

On the one hand, it’s probably not a great sign that it took a historic LeBron performance, 21 three-pointers AND a Pacers collapse to eke out a win against a team like Indiana. On the other hand, LeBron James is too busy making history to care just yet.